The traditional image of the postman using bicycles and vans to get around may be consigned to history if a revolutionary new electric unicycle is a success.
Now deliveries will be getting the sci-fi treatment - with postmen trialling an electric unicycle to distribute post to customers.
The modern eco-friendly AirWheel has a top speed of 12mph and an inbuilt stabiliser that allows riders to travel wherever pedestrians go - including sand and dirt tracks.
Fast delivery: The eco-friendly AirWheel - pictured in Birmingham - has a top speed of 12mph
The gadget - which has a range of 28 miles and recharges when it goes downhill - was met with astonished reactions from onlookers on Monday.
The UK’s second largest delivery company’s initiative mirrors Amazon’s plan to deliver goods to customers by unmanned drones - but that idea is several years away from implementation.
Nick Wells, CEO of whistl, said: ‘We’ve got a long track record of innovation in the UK postal sector and this radical new delivery device grabbed our attention.
'Our team have had fun getting to grips with the gadget and it's gone down well with customers too.
'We are committed to ongoing efficiency and if the trial proves successful then the AirWheel will be adopted by whistl Posties across the UK.'
The AirWheel Q3 retails at £799 and will be trialed with 100 posties by whistl in selected cities.
Sam Parham, professional stuntman, who has worked on James Bond, the founder of TheAirWheel.com - the exclusive UK distributors of the product - said: ‘We were delighted when whistl approached us about trialling the Q3.
'The AirWheel has so much potential for use in many diverse situations and couldn't be better suited to urban deliveries.'
